Extending a late-era artistic renaissance with his 11th album
We Are Chaos,
Marilyn Manson goes three-for-three with his
Loma Vista output, delivering yet another taut set of catchy earworms that retains enough of his peak-era trademarks while continuing his unexpected late-stage evolution. This time around, the elder goth statesman parts ways with creative partner
Tyler Bates -- the man who assisted
Manson's late-2010s comeback efforts
The Pale Emperor and
Heaven Upside Down -- and connects with outlaw country musician
Shooter Jennings. For those expecting this to be a boots-and-beer makeover, rest assured that
Jennings doesn't change the formula too much, sprinkling just the right amount of Nashville dust into the mix to color
Manson's usual corrosive, ghoulish sound. Still, those moments -- like the mirrored pair of "Half-Way & One Step Forward" and "Broken Needle" -- simply end up sounding like unearthed treasures from the glam rock
Mechanical Animals era.
Manson kicks off
Chaos from atop his weathered pulpit, delivering a purposely spooky but reliably inscrutable, spoken word sermon that quickly rumbles to life with a pounding beat, gurgling bass, and chugging riffage. That track, "Red Black and Blue," hits a raging sweet spot, joining "Perfume" and "Infinite Darkness" as the album's most classic-sounding moments. While the former evokes
The Pale Emperor's rollicking blues-rock bluster in the best way, the latter introduces the album's de facto "Side B" with suitably buzzing riffs, cacophonous percussion, and a feral vocal performance. Beside these diehard-pleasing cuts,
We Are Chaos also delivers plenty of hauntingly beautiful revelations. On "Don't Chase the Dead," icy
Depeche Mode synths, '80s power ballad majesty, and a gorgeous chorus combine to paint
Jennings' influence in thick black eyeliner. Later, atmospheric guitar licks reminiscent of
the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" are twisted to serve
Manson's angst and frustration on the smoky groover "Keep My Head Together." Beyond these standouts, the most unexpected moment on the album comes with the
Love and Rockets-inspired lead single "We Are Chaos," which shocks not with the typical
Manson scare-and-offend schtick, but because it's actually quite good. By far the poppiest moment in his catalog, this surprise is a jarring, subversive anti-anthem that sounds almost inspirational until the nihilistic lyrics sink their teeth in. That focus on songcraft has been the key to his rejuvenated
Loma Vista material and why it's such a delight to hear after three decades as hard rock's go-to bogeyman. As the years of shock tactics and theatrics fade into memory,
Manson's left with just the music, aging as gracefully as he can with another expertly crafted offering for the altar. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
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